Maine Democratic Party Calls on Republican Gov Candidates to Speak Up on Medicaid Expansion Lawsuit

WESTBROOK, Maine, May 2 -- The Maine Democratic Party issued the following news release:

Today, the Maine Democratic Party is calling on the Republican candidates for governor to state their positions on the lawsuit filed yesterday by Maine Equal Justice Partners compelling the LePage Administration to implement Medicaid expansion.

Each of the Republican candidates - Mary Mayhew, Shawn Moody, Garrett Mason, and Ken Fredette - have repeatedly said that they oppose Medicaid expansion, with some even going so far to say that they want the voter-approved law repealed. What is their reaction to the lawsuit filed yesterday?

"The people of Maine know that Mary Mayhew, Shawn Moody, Garrett Mason, and Ken Fredette disagree with them about the importance of expanding Medicaid. But what Maine people deserve to know now is whether or not they will have to sue them, too, in order to carry out the law if one of them is elected," said Phil Bartlett, Chairman of the Maine Democratic Party. "Governor LePage's endless ideological obstruction of Medicaid expansion has worsened government dysfunction in Augusta, and Maine people are tired of it. Will the Republican candidates for governor continue LePage's legacy of obstruction and dysfunction if elected or will they stand with the people of Maine, adhere to the law, and see that Medicaid is expanded and health insurance is extended to tens of thousands of Maine people?"

All seven of Maine's Democratic candidates for governor support expanding Medicaid while all four of the Republican gubernatorial candidates oppose it, adopting much of Governor LePage's flawed thinking to do so:

* Mary Mayhew: "All because you put a couple sentences on the ballot, and in this case you have incredibly low voter turnout, and now we're going to have the Legislature and a Governor contemplate how are you going to pay for this. This can get passed in the ballot box -- it does not absolve the Legislature's and the Governor's responsibility to comprehensively evaluate and do the right thing for Mainers."

* Garrett Mason: "I have no issues as Senate Republican Leader, or as a candidate for Governor for that matter, telling people that I would love to see this Medicaid expansion repealed."

* Shawn Moody: "I'm a deep thinker. I see things probably differently than a lot of people do. But Medicaid expansion is a government bailout for the insurance companies and for the hospitals. That money is ear-marked for the healthiest population. Why? Because they don't need health care coverage - you know, not to the extent older people do. So that money is gonna go right in the pockets of the hospitals and the insurance companies because they are supporting a failed system."

* Ken Fredette: "I acknowledge the passing of the referendum dealing with the expansion of Medicaid. However, I do not believe House Republicans will support any tax increase or the raiding of the rainy day fund to pay for an ever-expanding state government due to the out-of-control referendum process."